History Extra podcast

The History Extra podcast brings you gripping stories from the past and fascinating historical conversations with the world's leading historical experts.


Produced by the team behind BBC History Magazine, History Extra is a free history podcast, with episodes released six times a week. Subscribe now for the real stories behind your favourite films, TV shows and period dramas, as well as compelling insights into lesser-known aspects of the past. 

 

We delve into global history stories spanning the ancient world right up to the modern day. You’ll hear deep dives into the lives of famous historical figures like Cleopatra, Anne Boleyn and Winston Churchill, and explorations of intriguing events from the past, such as the Salem witch trials, the battle of Waterloo and D-Day. 

 

Expect fresh takes on history, helping you get to grips with the latest research, as we explore everything from ancient Roman archaeology and Viking mythology to Renaissance royals and Tudor kings and queens. 

 

Our episodes touch on a wide range of historical eras – from the Normans and Saxons to the Stuarts, Victorians and the Regency period. We cover the most popular historical subjects, from the medieval world to the Second World War, but you’ll also hear conversations on lesser-known parts of our past, including black history and women’s history. 

 

Looking at the history behind today’s headlines, we consider the forces that have shaped today’s world, from the imposing empires that dominated continents, to the revolutions that brought them crashing down. We also examine the impact of conflict across the centuries, from the crusades of the Middle Ages and the battles of the ancient Egyptians to World War One, World War Two and the Cold War.  

 

Plus, we uncover the real history behind myths, legends and conspiracy theories, from the medieval murder mystery of the Princes in the Tower, to the assassination of JFK.  

 

Featuring interviews with notable historians including Mary Beard, Tracy Borman, James Holland and Dan Jones, we cover a range of social, political and military history, with the aim to start conversations about some of the most fascinating areas of the past. 

Unlock full access to HistoryExtra.com for 6 months for just 99p https://www.historyextra.com/join/

History
101
The golden age of the country house
Adrian Tinniswood offers a vivid snapshot of country house life at the turn of the 20th century, when uber-rich elites splashed their cash on extravagant homes
33 min
102
Victorian schools: everything you wanted to know
Rosalind Crone answers your questions on education in 19th-century Britain – from dame schools to the dunce's hat
48 min
103
Gladiators: everything you wanted to know
Alison Futrell answers listeners’ questions on ancient Rome’s arena fighters
51 min
104
Nelson: a life of heroism and scandal
Dominic Sandbrook revisits the life of the naval hero who led the British fleet to victory at Trafalgar, but whose torrid affair scandalised Georgian society
37 min
105
Medieval make do and mend
Annette Kehnel explores medieval sustainability – from the period's booming repair market to the widespread use of second-hand building materials
22 min
106
Thomas Cromwell: the triumph and tragedy of Hen...
As the BBC drama Wolf Hall returns, we speak to Thomas Cromwell biographer Diarmaid MacCulloch about the astonishing downfall of Henry VIII's most trusted servant
34 min
107
Joseph McCarthy: life of the week
Nick Bunker explores the extraordinary life of the notorious anti-communist crusader Joseph McCarthy
34 min
108
Gladiator tales
Guy de la Bédoyère shares some surprising stories from the history of gladiatorial games
34 min
109
The Brontës: everything you wanted to know
Claire O'Callaghan explores the lives and work of the Brontë sisters
44 min
110
Lord Lucan: the vanishing earl
Laura Thompson revisits the story of the aristocrat who became prime suspect in a murder, then vanished...
30 min
111
The Tyrant, the usurper and the hero | Henry V:...
Dan Jones and Helen Castor focus in on the life of their third medieval monarch – the mighty warrior king, Henry V
44 min
112
How Stalin won WW2
Jonathan Dimbleby argues that 1944 was a defining year in the Nazi-Soviet clash and the long-term future of Europe
34 min
113
The Venerable Bede: life of the week
Who was Bede? Why was he 'venerable'? And was he really the 'Father of English History'? Michelle P Brown charts the life of the extraordinary monk, author and teacher
32 min
114
Decoding Mary, Queen of Scots
Jade Scott examines the deciphered letters of Mary, Queen of Scots and explores what they reveal about her time in captivity
32 min
115
The Blitz: everything you wanted to know
Dan Todman answers listener questions on the bombing raids that hit Britain during the Second World War
41 min
116
The gunpowder plot: everything you wanted to know
John Cooper tackles listener questions on the infamous plot to blow up parliament on 5 November 1605
34 min
117
Telling the story of modern Jerusalem
Simon Sebag Montefiore tells us about the updated version of his book Jerusalem: The Biography, which charts one of the most turbulent, divisive periods of world history
39 min
118
The Tyrant, the usurper and the hero | Henry IV...
Dan Jones and Helen Castor delve into the dramatic life and reign of Henry Bolingbroke, and explore how he became the usurper Henry IV
48 min
119
Satan & the sabbath: witchhunting in the Basque...
Jan Machielsen reveals why supernatural stories of witchcraft convulsed the Basque Country in the early 17th century
28 min
120
Florence Nightingale: life of the week
Melissa Pritchard explores the life, legacy and extraordinary achievements of the English nurse and statistician known as the 'lady with the lamp'
35 min
121
Introducing History's Greatest Conspiracy Theories
1 min
122
Cocaine: a Victorian sensation
Douglas Small reveals how cocaine was widely used in all manner of 19th-century products, and explores why it became a fixture of society, sport, culture and literature
31 min
123
Medieval science: everything you wanted to know
Seb Falk challenges the notion that the medieval period was a scientific 'dark age'
50 min
124
Halloween traditions: everything you wanted to ...
Owen Davies answers listener questions on the haunted historical festivities surrounding 31 October
26 min
125
Medieval women: friendship, wanderlust and the ...
Hetta Howes highlights what four extraordinary female writers can reveal about the lives of women in the Middle Ages
40 min